Note to the Teacher: We decided to include how teachers might use media to promote critical thinking, and class activities and units about the media that would ask students to think critically through creative problem solving.
EDUBLOGS AND CRITICAL THINKING
Edublogs can be used to promote and evaluate critical thinking ability. During discussions quiet or "silent" students can be encouraged individually more easily than in an oral discussion in front of a group. In fact some students are much more comfortable blogging and exhibit an entirely different manner of interacting.
Thought-provoking questions posted by the teacher begin the blog. For example, in a blog after assigning The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the teacher might ask students "Why does Edna cry?" Although this sounds like a simple question, students who do not understand its significance will miss many of the subleties of Chopin's descriptions. By having this discussion early in their reading of the novel, the students will more carefully analyze her descriptions throughout. Assigning posts on blogs as part of the reading experience will encourage students to read carefully and will discourage last minute attempts or "pretend" reading.
Blogging could also be used to help students develop analytical papers. Students might post their topics and ask other students to help provide textural references and comments. This would encourage the weaker critical thinkers and would expose all students to the various topics assigned.
The Internet
The Internet is a valuable source of information on critical and creative thinking. Some of the best lessons are :
Learning experience: Students will explore American values reflected in the media from 1900 to the
present.
Enduring Understandings:
Values of a culture are reflected in the media that a culture produces.
First amendment rights make American media forms different than the forms of other countries.
Essential Questions:
Does the media reflect or influence a culture?
How have American values been affected throughout the 20th century (through media)?
How are regional differences, and value systems, demonstrated through the media?
How might negative political campaigns be effective or destructive?
What is the significance of an unbiased press?
Performance Tasks:
Students are asked to become film directors who are competing for a film award. They will present their films to an audience of students, parents and teachers at a film festival. The film should present a history of television, theatre, cinema, or social media.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Student-produced public service announcements promote critical and creative thinking.
Begin with the Creative Problem Solving Model 6.1.
Refer students to the CPS slideshow when appropriate.
Ask students to brainstorm using the "Wouldn't it be nice if.." stem to generate ideas for worthwhile public service announcements. Then have students vote on their preference using "Hits and Hot Spots." I let each student choose a color for the brainstorming activity and the "dots" they use for the hits and hot spots focusing tool. Even if you are using the Promethean Board, each student may choose a different color. Then you can evaluate participation more easily.
Presidential Elections
Note to teacher: Presidential campaigns are notorious for using tactics to make their candidate look '"good" and/or making the opponent look "bad." Color, contrast, and shadowing are three of the techniques most often used.
In the 2008 election, for instance, President Obama was always dressed in white. Some candidates use red, white and blue to suggest that they are patriotic.
Suggested Activity:
Have students collect mail from the presidential candidates. Using the mail they have collected, conduct a seminar using the "philosophical chairs" format to discuss the tactics used by the political campaigns.
Show television ads from both the Republican and Democratic campaigns that address the candidates and the economy.
Studying Documentaries
Enduring Understanding: Civilization impacts the environment.
Essential Question: What changes in human behavior might improve the environment?
Show various videos promoting both sides of the Global Warming Debate. Ask students to read several articles from Scientific Journals about Global Warming. Use Paul's Reasoning Model to promote discussion of those articles. Conduct a Socratic Seminar on the issue.
Other resources: Gore's documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Food, Inc. (a documentary on the state of American food production)
POLITICAL CARTOONS
Using Cartoons to encourage Critical Thinking
Cartoons are a good way to encourage critical thinking. Below are some questions and activities relating to the cartoon about Virginia Beach, but political cartoons can be found that relate to almost any topic. A good website to find political cartoons is http://www.cagle.com
What is the cartoonist saying about Virginia Beach?
Why choose Starbuck's as the setting for Occupying Virginia Beach?
Suggested Activities: In groups have students fill out a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Invite Walt Taylor of the Virginian-Pilot, the cartoonist, to visit the classroom and discuss his cartoon. Ask students to write high level questions based on Costa's Levels of Questioning. Then ask students to create a cartoon that contrasts two groups to make a point about one of them.
Political cartoons and media clips can be used as a hook to catch the student's attention or as part of a writing prompt. Daily writing activities promote critical (and creative) thinking when the prompts are thought-provoking.
Almost any subject matter can be introduced with a political cartoon. They can be used as hooks or material for classroom debates. Following are a few debate/discussion formats that are shown to produce more in-depth critical thinking:
Socratic Circles
Philosophical Chairs
Paideia
The gifted resource teacher at your school would be pleased to help you with these formats or any of the formats on our resource page.
Media-
Note to the Teacher: We decided to include how teachers might use media to promote critical thinking, and class activities and units about the media that would ask students to think critically through creative problem solving.
EDUBLOGS AND CRITICAL THINKING
Edublogs can be used to promote and evaluate critical thinking ability. During discussions quiet or "silent" students can be encouraged individually more easily than in an oral discussion in front of a group. In fact some students are much more comfortable blogging and exhibit an entirely different manner of interacting.
Thought-provoking questions posted by the teacher begin the blog. For example, in a blog after assigning The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the teacher might ask students "Why does Edna cry?" Although this sounds like a simple question, students who do not understand its significance will miss many of the subleties of Chopin's descriptions. By having this discussion early in their reading of the novel, the students will more carefully analyze her descriptions throughout. Assigning posts on blogs as part of the reading experience will encourage students to read carefully and will discourage last minute attempts or "pretend" reading.
Blogging could also be used to help students develop analytical papers. Students might post their topics and ask other students to help provide textural references and comments. This would encourage the weaker critical thinkers and would expose all students to the various topics assigned.
The Internet
The Internet is a valuable source of information on critical and creative thinking. Some of the best lessons are :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ8biQB9Aachttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLPL5p0fMg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNCOOUK-bMQ
http://www.slideshare.net/jbaugh/developing-critical-thinking-for-applied-research-126641
The Media and the Message
Learning experience: Students will explore American values reflected in the media from 1900 to the
present.
Enduring Understandings:
Values of a culture are reflected in the media that a culture produces.
First amendment rights make American media forms different than the forms of other countries.
Essential Questions:
Does the media reflect or influence a culture?
How have American values been affected throughout the 20th century (through media)?
How are regional differences, and value systems, demonstrated through the media?
How might negative political campaigns be effective or destructive?
What is the significance of an unbiased press?
Performance Tasks:
Students are asked to become film directors who are competing for a film award. They will present their films to an audience of students, parents and teachers at a film festival. The film should present a history of television, theatre, cinema, or social media.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Student-produced public service announcements promote critical and creative thinking.
Begin with the Creative Problem Solving Model 6.1.
CPS workshop PPT.ppt
- Details
- Download
- 1 MB
Refer students to the CPS slideshow when appropriate.
Ask students to brainstorm using the "Wouldn't it be nice if.." stem to generate ideas for worthwhile public service announcements. Then have students vote on their preference using "Hits and Hot Spots." I let each student choose a color for the brainstorming activity and the "dots" they use for the hits and hot spots focusing tool. Even if you are using the Promethean Board, each student may choose a different color. Then you can evaluate participation more easily.
Presidential Elections
Note to teacher: Presidential campaigns are notorious for using tactics to make their candidate look '"good" and/or making the opponent look "bad." Color, contrast, and shadowing are three of the techniques most often used.
In the 2008 election, for instance, President Obama was always dressed in white. Some candidates use red, white and blue to suggest that they are patriotic.
Suggested Activity:
Have students collect mail from the presidential candidates. Using the mail they have collected, conduct a seminar using the "philosophical chairs" format to discuss the tactics used by the political campaigns.
Show television ads from both the Republican and Democratic campaigns that address the candidates and the economy.
Studying Documentaries
Enduring Understanding: Civilization impacts the environment.
Essential Question: What changes in human behavior might improve the environment?
Show various videos promoting both sides of the Global Warming Debate. Ask students to read several articles from Scientific Journals about Global Warming. Use Paul's Reasoning Model to promote discussion of those articles. Conduct a Socratic Seminar on the issue.
Other resources: Gore's documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Food, Inc. (a documentary on the state of American food production)
Using Cartoons to encourage Critical ThinkingPOLITICAL CARTOONS
Cartoons are a good way to encourage critical thinking. Below are some questions and activities relating to the cartoon about Virginia Beach, but political cartoons can be found that relate to almost any topic. A good website to find political cartoons is http://www.cagle.com
What is the cartoonist saying about Virginia Beach?
Why choose Starbuck's as the setting for Occupying Virginia Beach?
Suggested Activities: In groups have students fill out a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Invite Walt Taylor of the Virginian-Pilot, the cartoonist, to visit the classroom and discuss his cartoon. Ask students to write high level questions based on Costa's Levels of Questioning. Then ask students to create a cartoon that contrasts two groups to make a point about one of them.
Political cartoons and media clips can be used as a hook to catch the student's attention or as part of a writing prompt. Daily writing activities promote critical (and creative) thinking when the prompts are thought-provoking.
Almost any subject matter can be introduced with a political cartoon. They can be used as hooks or material for classroom debates. Following are a few debate/discussion formats that are shown to produce more in-depth critical thinking:
Socratic Circles
Philosophical Chairs
Paideia
The gifted resource teacher at your school would be pleased to help you with these formats or any of the formats on our resource page.